01.02.04. Worship, Sacraments and Ceremonies

Chapter 6.

Worship, Sacraments and Ceremonies

Articles 51-68. The "Spiritual order which our Lord has taught us in His Word extends also to how things are done in public worship services. Holy God has given particular directives concerning these services, and so the churches have made agreements in relation to how things ought to be done regarding worship, sacraments and ceremonies.

1. Worship

Scripture teaches that the Holy Spirit works faith through the preach­ing. "And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? ... So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:14-17). This is echoed in the Lord’s Day 25.65 of the Heidelberg Catechism:

"Since then faith alone makes us share in Christ and all His benefits, where does this faith come from? From the Holy Spirit, who works it in our hearts by the preaching of the gospel, and strengthens it by the use of the sacraments." The preaching of the gospel is as critical for faith in God as food is for the health of the body. This given of Scripture has prompted the churches to make the following agreement in the Church Order for observance throughout the bond of churches: ^135.

FRCA: Article 62 - Church services (CanRC: Article 52)

The consistory shall call the congregation together for church ser­vices twice on the Lord’s Day. The church is the workshop of the Holy Spirit; here it is that the Spirit through the preaching is pleased to work faith in the hearts of the hearers. Note how this article goes further than simply stating that the consistory shall call the congregation together for church services. It also stipulates the day on which services should be held, and the frequency of the worship services.

1.1 Church Services on the Lord’s Day The churches have learned that the Lord would have the congregation come together for church services on the Lord’s Day. For Old Testament Is­rael the Lord’s Day was the Sabbath, the last day of the week (Exodus 20:8; Leviticus 26:2). In the New Testament the Day of the Lord has been moved from the last day of the week to the first day of the week. (From Article 63 it is clear that in Article 62 the term "Lord’s Day" refers to the Sunday.) The transition of the Lord’s Day from Sabbath to Sunday is based on developments that took place in the New Testament church after Jesus’ death, as revealed to us in Scripture:

• John 20:1, John 20:19 : Here we read that the disciples assembled together on the day of Jesus’ resurrection, which took place on the first day of the week. "Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.... Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled...."

• John 20:26 : "And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, ’Peace to you!’" John makes a point of telling us that "after eight days" the disciples were again together. By Jewish reckoning, "after eight days" is again the Sunday - counting from Sunday to Sunday. By Old Testament regulation the disciples ought on this first day of the week to be at work: "Six days you shall labour and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work..." (Exodus 20:9-10). Yet on this first day of the week they are not at work; they are instead assembled together. That the Lord was pleased with their absence from work and their assembling together on this first day of the week is confirmed by the fact that He met with His disciples on this day. ^136.

• Acts 2:1-4 : "When the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place..." The term ’Pentecost’ means ’fifty’; the day was fifty days after Jesus’ resurrection from the dead (again, by Jewish reckoning, counting both the day of resurrection and the day of Pentecost). That makes Pentecost, like Easter, the first day of the week. This is the day of the week upon which the Lord was pleased to pour out His Holy Spirit. Further, we need to note that on this first day of the week the disciples were not at work but again assembled to­gether - with the Lord’s obvious approval.

• Acts 20:7 : "Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread...." The pattern expressed in the weeks after Je­sus’ resurrection and confirmed on the day of Pentecost became the norm for the New Testament church. Nowhere do any of the apostles condemn or correct this pattern. On the contrary, the apostles approve it, and even command it, as the next quote shows.

• 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 : Paul made the following request of the saints at Corinth. "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have giv­en orders to the chit relies of Galatia, so you must do also: On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come. " The impli­cation of this statement is that the Corinthian saints met together for worship not on the Sabbath but on the first day of the week. That is why Paul nominated this day for the saints to make their offerings for the collection for the saints.

• Revelation 1:10 : John, exiled to the island of Patmos, records that he "was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day...." The ’Lord’s Day’ is a refer­ence to the day of the week on which the Lord Jesus rose from the dead, i. e. the first day. If the Lord God wished His saints to give no special at­tention to this day, He would neither have called it "the Lord’s Day" nor told us that John’s vision came to him on this day of the week.

The above Scripture texts serve as adequate evidence for the churches to specify on which day of the week the Consistory must call the congregation together for church services, namely, on the first day.

1.2 Two Church Services Per Sunday That people assembled together for worship on the first day of the week can quite easily be established on the basis of Scripture. What is not so clear from Scripture is the number of times people assembled on a Sunday.

It should be noted first of all that the day set aside for public worship is designated in Scripture as the "Lord’s Day". Though all days of the week ¹³⁷ surely belong to the Lord, God claims this first day of the week in a spe­cial manner. This entire day is uniquely His, and so it is fitting that the people of God devote the entire day to Him. An Old Testament example provides further instruction about how of­ten the Consistory ought to call the people of God together. In Numbers 28:1-4 we read the following instruction from the Lord to Moses: "Com­mand the children of Israel, and say to them, ’My offering, My food for My offerings made by fire as a sweet aroma to Me, you shall he careful to offer to Me at their appointed time. ’And you shall say to them, ’This is the offering made by fire which you shall offer to the LORD: two male lambs in their first year without blemish, day by day, as a regular burnt offering. The one lamb you shall offer in the morning, the other lamb you shall offer in die evening.’" Although this instruction of the Lord related to the daily sacrifices rather than the weekly day of worship, inherent in it is a valuable principle that the churches over the centuries have taken to heart. By means of daily sacrifices offered both in the morning and in the evening, even entire day for each Israelite was bracketed by visible gospel preaching and prayer. The sacrifices were a visible proclamation of the gospel of substitution. Twice a day it was impressed upon the people that although it was they who deserved to die on account of their sins. God accepted the lambs the) sacrificed as atonement for their sins. God did so with a view to the death His Son. The Lamb would die in the future. If such a gospel should bracket the daily lives of the saints of the Old Testament, how much more should this be true for saints of the New Testament. To give expression to this reality, the churches have agreed that it is right and proper to call the congregations together for worship twice per Sunday. The whole day, from morning to evening, should be devoted to the Lord.

Besides, there needs to be opportunity for "the whole counsel of God" (Acts 20:27) to be proclaimed. The Holy Spirit has given the entire Word of God for the edification of God’s people, and He is pleased to use the whole Word to work and strengthen faith. The evil one, meanwhile, goes out of his way to spread heresy. Paul warns the elders of Ephesus, "For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock" (Acts 20:29). In 2 Corinthians 11:13 Paul likewise warns against "false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ." If at all possible, Satan will plant heresies amongst God’s people, making the lie more appealing than the truth. In 2 Timothy 3:5-8 Paul urges Timothy to turn away from those "having a form of god­liness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! ... Now as ¹³⁸ Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith." The problem is that people like false teaching. "For the time will come when they will not en­dure sound doctrine, hut according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers: and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and he turned aside to fables" (2 Timothy 4:3-4). Timothy should not he surprised, for it is in the human heart to de­sire what is most pleasing to the self. Here, then, is further argument sup­porting the agreement of the churches to call the congregations together twice on the Lord’s Day. In the face of the challenges of living in a world with devils filled, each threatening to undo the people of God, opportunity must be used to equip God’s people for the battles of the coming week. Here is a further argument why "the Consistory shall call the congregation together for church services twice on the Lord’s Day." But the man entrusted with the proclamation of the gospel (and the con­sistory overseeing his work also) is very much touched by the fall into sin. It is possible for a minister to preach his way through particular Bible books without touching on certain points of doctrine. Yes, it is possible that he is loathe to preach on a particular doctrinal matter and so avoids certain Scrip­ture passages - with the result that the flock bought by Jesus’ blood is not adequately armed against Satan’s attacks. For that reason the churches agreed that in the church services the doctrine of the church be taught on a regular basis.

FRCA: Article 63 - Catechism preaching (CanRC: Article 52)

The consistory shall ensure that as a rule once every Sunday the doctrine of God’s Word as summarised in the Heidelberg Cate­chism is proclaimed, preferably in the afternoon service.

Article 63 is evidence that the churches take seriously the need to en­sure that Satan does not sabotage the work of the Holy Spirit through the preaching. Similar evidence arose earlier in the Church Order when agree­ment was made to ward off false doctrine (Article 26) and to demand sig­natures to the Subscription Form (Articles 24 and 25).

1.3 Singing in the Worship Services

Satan is cunning and will use whatever means available to divert peo­ple from the truth. Singing touches people’s emotions and Satan will also play on these. In recognition of this reality, the churches have agreed what ought to be sung in a church service: ^139.

FRCA: Article 64 - Psalms and hymns (CanRC: Article 55)

In the church services only the psalms and hymns approved by syn­od shall be sung. The psalms mentioned in this article come from God Himself, in as much as they are the inspired songs of Scripture (be it put to rhyme by men). The hymns approved by synod also have distinct Scriptural origin, either in the sense that they are rhymed portions of Scripture itself or in the sense that they have been found to convey accurately the message of Scripture. Anything less than Scripturally faithful hymns would be inade­quate in worship of holy God. The churches cannot dictate what ought to be sung in the homes of the church members or the schools the children attend, simply because the churches may concern themselves only "with ecclesiastical matters" (FRCA Article 30; CanRC Article 30) and not with domestic or education­al matters. Nevertheless, the arguments for prescribing the 150 psalms and a select number of hymns to be sung in church are equally valid for the homes and the schools. If the threefold triangle of church-home-school is to be a closely-knit triangle, the homes and schools do well to take careful note of the decisions of the churches - especially in an aspect of life where (as history has shown) heresy is sung much earlier than it is preached. Equally, elders do well to encourage parents and teachers to teach the children the songs of the church.

2. Sacraments

Preaching is the tool used by the Holy Spirit for working faith in peo­ple’s hearts. By audible preaching the Spirit instils faith and by visible preaching (i. e. the administration of the sacraments) the Spirit strengthens faith (see Lord’s Day 25). Satan seeks to choke the faith the Spirit works so that it perishes, and history proves how hard he has tried to twist, hol­low out, or destroy the sacraments. For the sake of protecting God’s church against Satan’s attacks on the sacraments, and to ensure that faith is indeed strengthened by their use as God intended it, the churches have bound themselves to administer the sacraments only in certain conditions:

FRCA: Article 51 -Administration of sacraments (CanRC: Article 56)

The sacraments shall be administered only in a church service by a minister of the Word with the use of the adopted Forms, and under the supervision of the elders. ^140. The churches have agreed to four conditions under which the sacra­ments must be administered:

(a)Only in a church service: The preaching of the gospel has been entrusted to the church, occurring under the supervision of the elders who are the official authority in the church. What is true of the audible preaching applies equally to the vis­ible preaching; Word and sacraments cannot be separated. The sacra­ments, like the Word, are not (he private domain of the minister, the church member or a club, and so they cannot be administered outside the official gathering of God’s people in worship. The sacraments belong to the church, the communion of saints, and so they must be adminis­tered where the saints are assembled and the elders are present.

(b)By a minister of the Word; This stipulation emphasises the direct association between the sacra­ments and the preaching. Audible preaching and visible preaching have essentially the same message. The man entrusted with the task of the au­dible preaching of the Gospel is also the man authorised to administer the sacraments - the visible preaching. The two may not be separated.

(c)    With the use of the adopted Forms:

Scriptures teach that the heart of man is subtle and that Satan will do what he can to twist the truth of the gospel. What the Lord has revealed concerning baptism and holy supper is accurately captured in the "Form for the Baptism of Infants" and the "Form for the Celebration of the Lord’s Supper", as adopted by the churches. In order to protect the congregation from twisted doctrine, the churches have agreed that only these Forms shall be used in the administration of the sacraments. If a scriptural understanding of the gospel contained in the sacraments is not set before those who receive the sacraments, faith will not be strength­ened as ought. And the preaching as a whole will deteriorate also.

(d)Under the supervision of the elders: The elders have been charged to watch over the flock, ensuring that the flock receives the truth of God’s Word. The visible preaching of the gospel in the sacraments, then, must come to the people not by the hand of one individual alone, but under the supervision of the elders.

2.1 Baptism 2.1.1 Infant Baptism

Baptism is the sign and seal of God’s covenant. The content of this covenant is explained in detail in the adopted Forms referred to in Article 51.¹⁴¹ That God includes children in His covenant is clear from the following Scripture texts:

• Genesis 17:7-14 : God said to Abram, "And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their genera­tions, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descen­dants after you." God made His covenant not with the man Abram alone, but also with his seed. That God specifically included also the children in His covenant of grace is pointed up in the fact that every male child born to Abram’s house was to receive in his flesh, already at the early age of eight days, the sign of God’s covenant. Said God, "This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and your de­scendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circum­cised.... He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised...." If a child was not circumcised he was excluded from the covenant and its blessings. "And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circum­cised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant."’

• Acts 2:39 : Peter addressed all who had assembled together on the day of Pentecost with these words, "For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off as many as the Lord our God will call." God does not change. As His Old Testament promises ex­tended also to the children, any change of this pattern would have to be announced in so many words in the New Testament. There is no such text. Instead, Peter on the day of Pentecost speaks specifically of "the promise" (that’s the one from the Old Testament, Genesis 17:1-27) being for the adults gathered before him "and to your children." All heirs of God’s promises, including the children, are then to receive the sign and seal of these promises.

• 1 Corinthians 7:14 : "For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy." The children of believers, even if children have only one believing parent, are holy in God’s eyes; they belong to Him. God claims the child for Himself right at the beginning of its life, and therefore the child needs to receive the sign of the covenant right at the beginning.

The essential content of circumcision and baptism is inherently identical. Of this fact the church has made profession in Article 34 of the Belgic

Confession:

"We believe and confess that Jesus Christ... has abolished circumci­sion, which involved blood, and has instituted in its place the sacrament ¹⁴² of baptism.... [The little children of believers] ought to be baptized and sealed with the sign of the covenant, as infants were circumcised in Israel on the basis of the same promises which are now made to our children. Indeed, Christ shed His blood to wash the children of believ­ers just as much as He shed it for adults. Therefore they ought to receive the sign and sacrament of what Christ has done for them, as the Lord commanded in the law that a lamb was to be offered shortly after chil­dren were born. This was a sacrament of the passion and death of Je­sus Christ. Because baptism has the same meaning for our children as circumcision had for the people of Israel, Paul calls baptism the cir­cumcision of Christ." On the basis of such instruction from the Lord, the churches agreed to the following about infant baptism:

FRCA: Article 52 - Baptism of infants (CanRC: Article 57)

The consistory shall ensure that the covenant of God is sealed by baptism to the children of believers as soon as feasible. The churches agree that the children of believers should be baptised "as soon as feasible." This is in obedience to what the Lord commanded in Genesis 17:12. God insisted on circumcision at the very early age of eight days. Because the content of circumcision and baptism is identical, this text has value in the new dispensation also.

Note how Article 52 is formulated. It does not say that the parents "shall ensure that the covenant of God is sealed by baptism ... as soon as feasible," but rather that "the consistory shall ensure...." The churches cannot make agreements determining how individual members will act; the Church Order can concern itself only with how the churches will act. That is why this article is about consistory’s responsibility in relation to the ad­ministration of the sacrament of baptism. The churches recognise the consistory’s teaching role. The children God entrusts to believers are His children, members of His flock. That gives the shepherds of the flock a responsibility also to the children (see below). Yet God has entrusted these children not to the office-bearers as such, but to parents (see Deuteronomy 6:1-9; Ephesians 6:4). The office-bearers, therefore, need to see to it that parents understand the identity of the chil­dren God entrusts to them. The result of parents understanding the riches of God’s covenant will surely be that they present their child for holy baptism, and do so as soon as feasible. Satan for his part would love to see the church ignorant of the identity of the children God gives, and so works hard (and ¹⁴³ not without success) to get people to believe (for example) that baptism is not for infants but for adults only. The consistory has the task to teach what God has revealed in His Word about baptism, and God will bless this instruction by making the parents see their responsibility.

2.1.2 Teaching the Covenant Children The Scripture texts quoted above concerning the inclusion of the chil­dren in God’s covenant receive further application in Article 53.

FRCA: Article 53 - Baptismal promise and education

The consistory shall make sure that the parents honour their vows to instruct their children, to the utmost of their power, in the doctrine of the Scriptures as summarised in the confessions, and to have them instructed in the same by the instruction provided by the consistory.

In accordance with the same vow, the consistory shall see to it that the parents, to the best of their ability, and with the cooperation of the communion of saints, give their children education (as stipulated by the civil government) which is based on Scripture and Confession.

CanRC: Article 58 - Schools

The Consistory shall ensure that the parents, to the best of their abil­ity, have their children attend a school where the instruction given is in harmony with the Word of God as the Church has summarised it in her Confessions.

We commonly speak in terms of parents receiving children, and so emphasising the responsibility of the children to honour their God-given parents. It is also true, however, that children receive parents. That is to say: God is pleased to use particular parents to raise particular children of His. So the parents of a given child receive from the Lord the task to teach this child what his identity is, namely, he is a covenant child. This duty of the parents is drawn out in various passages of Scripture.

• In Genesis 18:19 we read of the task God gave to Abraham as the par­ent of covenant children. "For I have known [Abraham], in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice, that the LORD may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him. " Here is a charge to Abraham: because God’s covenant is made with him and his seed, Abraham needs to make it his business to teach his offspring the way of the Lord. ^144.

• The Israelites had experienced the plagues God sent to Egypt, had seen the Exodus from Egypt, had walked the path God had made for them in the waters of the Red Sea, and had gathered together before the Lord when He made His covenant with them at Horeb (Mt Sinai). Forty years later, many Israelites would still have had clear memories of these events. God through Moses gave the following instruction to Israel, "Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren, especially concerning the day you stood before the LORD your God in Horeb, when the LORD said to me, ’Gather the people to Me, and I will let them hear My words, that they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.’ Then you came near and stood at the foot of the moun­tain.... And the LORD spoke to you out of the midst of the fire.... So He declared to you His covenant..." (Deuteronomy 4:9-13). Here is spe­cific instruction from God to parents and grandparents to instruct the younger generation about the works of God. and especially about His covenant made at Horeb.

• God repeats this instruction in Deuteronomy 6:6-7 : "And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up."

• Ephesians 6:4 : "And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to
  wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord."

The instruction of the children is the responsibility of the parents. Yet we need to understand that the elders have a task here also. Said Paul to the elders of Ephesus, "Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood" (Acts 20:28). A flock consists not only of mature sheep, but also of lambs. The elders must take heed to the entire flock. The elders need to see to it that the lambs of God’s flock receive from their God-given parents the care they actually need. When parents present their children for baptism, they answer in the affirmative this question: "... do you promise as father and mother to in­struct your child in this doctrine, as soon as he (she) is able to under­stand, and to have him (her) instructed therein to the utmost of your pow­er?" It is the task of the elders to ensure that parents faithfully carry out the promise of this vow. ^145. The matter may be schematised as in Figure 4. Elders have a task in relation to both the parents and the children. However, the care for the children is given first of all to the parents. The elders’ responsibility to the children is via the parents. The consistory must ensure that parents are obedient to the task to which they are called in passages of Scrip­ture as cited above. If the parents are remiss in doing their job in rela­tion to the children, then the elders’ task in relation to the parents is to re­mind them to be faithful to their vows, and their task in relation to the chil­dren is to see to it that they receive the instruction they need. To assist the par­ents in their task, the churches have agreed that the consistory shall conduct catechism classes and see to it that the parents have their children attend these classes and do the assigned work. Further, the elders need to include the children in their annual homevisits. All this the elders owe to the children be­cause the children are part of the flock God entrusted to their care. The second part of FRCA Article 53 deals with the consistory’s re­sponsibility towards the children’s schooling. Here it is not stipulated that the consistory is responsible for organising and setting up Reformed schools. Rather, the consistory should impress upon the parents, and the whole communion of saints, the importance of God-centred schools. It is because the children are holy in God’s eyes, set apart in a godless society, that they need education befitting their privileged identity.

However, setting up a God-centred school never frees the parents from their responsibility of teaching their children the doctrine of Scripture. Though Satan wishes for parents to think that teaching the children in the ways of the Lord is the teacher’s job, the Lord clearly delegates this task to the parents. If the parents are not faithful in their responsibilities towards their children at home, then the work of the schools will fail. Satan does not spare the little ones in the flock. So it will not do for the elders to stand idly by if parents neglect to instruct their children, or send their children to a school that is godless. Similarly, the office-bearers do well to ensure that the instruction given at the schools indeed accords with the identity of the children as God’s little ones.

2.1.3 Public Profession of Faith By the grace of the Lord Who blesses faithful work of parents and el­ders, the lambs of His flock grow into mature sheep. It is a fruit of the ¹⁴⁶ labours of parents and elders that the youth of the church grow spiritually to the point when they themselves respond to their baptism. This personal response of accepting in faith the promises and obligations of God’s covenant is termed ’Public Profession of Faith’.

FRCA: Article 54 - Public profession of faith (CanRC: no parallel agreement)

Those who desire to publicly profess their faith shall he examined by the consistory on their motivation and knowledge of the doctrine of God’s Word. The public profession shall take place in a church service, with the use of the adopted Form.

Article 54 reflects again that God has made the ciders responsible for the entire flock (Acts 20:28). It is they who must examine the youth on their motivation for professing their faith, and their knowledge of the doctrine of Scripture. This examination is more than an academic exercise. The knowledge gleaned over the years through parental instruction, church instruction and school needs to be complimented by a lifestyle pleasing to the Lord and a love for the God who rescued from Satan’s clutches. The consistory needs to be convinced that the motivation for pro­fessing the faith is genuine.

If the elders can discern a sincere, loving faith in response to the nur­ture and instruction by the parents and office-bearers, then the public pro­fession takes place in a church service with the use of the adopted Form.’ By baptism one is grafted into the Christian church, the body of true be­lievers, and so it is fitting that one’s response to baptism should also take place when the members of the body meet together. The content of one’s public profession of faith must be the same as that of all the other members, and for that reason Article 54 stipulates the use of the adopted Form. This is the faith "once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 1:3), and leads to the joy of John: "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth" (3 John 1:4).

2.1.4 Adult Baptism Not all those whom God has chosen to life are born and raised in the church, and hence baptised as infants. God has His elect also outside the covenant circle, and for that reason "sends heralds of this most joyful mes­sage to whom He will and when He wills" (Canons of Dort 1.3). As a re­sult of such mission work (be it ’official’ or ’unofficial’), people come to faith as adults. In accordance with Mark 16:16; these new believers must ¹⁴⁷ also be baptised, "He who believes and is baptised will be saved...." The apostles followed this pattern too when their preaching met with faith in the hearers:

• Acts 8:38 : "And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptised him."

• Acts 9:18 : "...and [Saul] arose and was baptised."

• Acts 10:48 : "And [Peter] commanded [Cornelius] to be baptised in the name of the Lord."

• Acts 16:15 : "And when [Lydia] and her household were baptised.... "

• Acts 16:33 : "And immediately [the Philippian jailer] and all his fam­ily were baptised."

• Acts 18:8 : "And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptised."

In recognition of this instruction of Mark 16:1-20 and the example of the early church, the churches have agreed to the following:

FRCA: Article 55 - Baptism of adults (CanRC: Article 59)

Adults who have not been baptised shall be grafted into the Christian church by holy baptism upon their public profession of faith.

Here it is recognised that adults are not to be baptised unless they be­lieve. So public profession of the faith must precede baptism of adults. The "Form for the Baptism of Adults" is essentially an amalgamation of the two forms adopted for infant baptism and public profession of faith.

2.2 The Lord’s Supper The churches have made agreements also in relation to the second sacrament that the Lord has given to His church. The manner in which the sacrament of the Lord’s supper ought to be administered has already been dealt with. The Lord’s supper, like baptism, "shall be administered only in a church service by a minister of the Word with the use of the adopted Forms, and under the supervision of the elders" (FRCA Article 51; Can­RC Article 56). The meaning of this sacrament is alluded to in this same article when it refers to "the adopted Forms". The Form for the Celebra­tion of the Lord’s Supper sets forth at length what the churches under­stand the Lord to teach about this sacrament. There is no need to elaborate on the meaning of the sacrament now. However, there are other matters relating to the Lord’s supper about which the churches considered agree­ments necessary. ^148.

2.2.1 Frequency

FRCA: Article 56 - Lord’s Supper (CanRC: Article 60)

The Lord ’.v Supper shall he celebrated at least once every three months. The brevity of this article has no bearing on its significance. In Article 56 the churches acknowledge two important realities. Firstly, by the re­spective eating and drinking of Christ’s body and blood, the believers are spiritually nourished and encouraged. Secondly, since Satan is at work to see the faith of all believers shrivel and die, he does all he can to prevent such nourishment and encouragement obtained through this sacrament and so he tries to prevent its celebration. For the sake of the sheep of the fold, then, the churches have agreed that the Lord’s supper shall be cele­brated at least once every three months.

One could discuss at length the merits of celebrating the Lord’s sup­per a given number of times per year. Scripture gives no command here. Il is a fact that the people of God need strengthening of faith through the use of the sacraments (see Lord’s Day 25). This implies rather frequent use of the sacrament of Lord’s Supper. However, over against the trend to multiply celebrations of this sacrament, it is worthwhile to note what God stipulated concerning the celebration of the Old Testament sacrament of Passover (which had the same essential content as the New Testament sacrament of Lord’s supper). Passover had to be celebrated at a fixed frequency of once per year: no more, no less. "On the fourteenth day of the first month is the Passover of the LORD" (Numbers 28:16). Famil­iarity breeds contempt! As a Christmas dinner eaten every day is no longer a feast, so too the wealth of the Lord’s supper can be lost on us if we celebrate this sacrament too often. The churches have decided only on a minimum number of celebrations per year, namely, at least once every three months. For the rest, the matter is left to the discretion of the local consistory.

2.2.2 Attendance The Lord’s supper shall be celebrated at least once every three months. But who may sit at the table of the Lord? The Scriptures make clear that the Lord’s table is not open to just anybody. Scripture lays the onus first on the individual to ensure that he is indeed able before God to sit at the Lord’s table. Speaking of the Lord’s supper in 1 Corinthians 11:28-30, the apostle Paul stresses personal responsibility for lawful participation in the sacrament. "But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of ¹⁴⁹ the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unwor­thy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep." The fact that the individual is responsible for his own participation in the sacrament does not exclude the fact that the elders also have a responsibili­ty here. In the Old Testament the priests were responsible for the ’fencing of the tabernacle.’ The people of God came to the tabernacle regularly with their sacrifices. However, not all could actually present sacrifices. Leviti­cus 13, for example, speaks of persons with leprosy. We are to understand that the leprosy spoken of in this chapter had nothing to do with the illness known today as Hansen’s Disease. Instead, the point of leprosy was that death - that tragic result of the fall into sin - had manifestly found a place in the person. The sores and spots, then, symbolised the spiritual affliction with which all people were afflicted. So, "when a man has on the skin of his body a swelling, a scab, or a bright spot, and it becomes on the skin of his body like a leprous sore, then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons the priests. The priest shall examine the sore... " (Leviticus 13:2-3). As a result of his finding, the priest ultimately might have to in­struct the Israelite with the spot that he was "unclean, and he shall dwell alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp" (Leviticus 13:46). That meant also that the unclean person could not enter the tabernacle of the Lord. Before a leper could again be admitted he first had to be examined by the priest and be pronounced clean (Leviticus 14:1). The churches have understood from Scripture that Yes, the Lord would have the consistory to ’fence’ the Lord’s table. When a person continues in sin despite having received admonitions from others in private (and so continues to present himself at the table of the Lord), the consistory must take on the task of discipline and withhold the sinner from the communion of the Lord’s table. In 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 Paul admonishes the church at Corinth for having failed to discipline the brother who lived in a sinful relationship with his stepmother. Paul’s instruction is therefore to "deliv­er such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh..." (1 Corinthians 5:5). Such delivering included that the brother had to be barred from the Lord’s table. It is imperative that the consistory carry out its responsibili­ty in this regard, for unlawful participation has serious consequences for the sinner and for the congregation. In Corinth there was weakness, sick­ness and death in the congregation (1 Corinthians 11:30). God has made the elders accountable for the souls of the congregation members. "Obey ¹⁵⁰ those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls as those who must give account" (Hebrews 13:17). The office-bear­ers, then, have a responsibility to guard the Lord’s table lest He pour out His wrath upon the congregation. Hence the following covenant among the churches:

FRCA: Article 57 - Admission to the Lord’s Supper (CanRC: Article 61)

The consistory shall admit to the Lord’s Supper only those who have made public profession of the Reformed faith and lead a godly life. Members of sister churches shall be admitted on the basis of a good attestation concerning their doctrine and conduct.

Although it is not explicitly slated that children are excluded from the Lord’s table, this is implied in the condition of this article that one must have professed the Reformed faith and be leading a godly life. Children arc not yet of an age that enables them to fully understand and responsibly answer to the promises and obligations received in God’s covenant. Be­fore they can make "public confession of the Reformed faith", children need to mature to an age of discernment.

Those who once professed the Reformed faith at some time, however, are not automatically entitled to sit at the Lord’s table. The churches have recognised that one also needs to be leading a godly life. The two criteria, profession of faith and a godly life, are equally valid for all persons, re­gardless of age, race, gender, church affiliation, domicile, etc. There may be no double standards with respect to who is admitted to the Lord’s table. Therefore the churches have agreed that "Members of sister churches shall be admitted on the basis of a good attestation concerning their doc­trine and conduct." An attestation (see below) is a testimony from one’s consistory concerning a person’s spiritual health. A church accepts the at­testations it receives for members from sister churches because it accepts the work of the office-bearers in those churches.

Anyone who is not a member of the local church or of one of its sister churches cannot attend the table of the Lord unless he has been "exam­ined by the consistory on [his] motivation and knowledge of the doctrine of God’s Word" (FRCA Article 54), with all that that entails. Anything less than a thorough examination by the consistory involves the church in ap­plying higher standards to members than to visitors. Such double stan­dards are not fitting in the church of the Lord. ^151.

3. Records and Attestations 3.1 Church Records

Following on logically from what the churches have agreed regarding the sacraments, attention is now turned to the matter of church records. Membership data are important to office-bearers if they are to carry out their task properly. Elders cannot shepherd the sheep of the flock if they do not know pertinent information about the sheep, let alone who their sheep are. Hence the following agreement:

FRCA: Article 58 - Church records (CanRC: Article 64)

The consistory shall maintain Church records in which the names of the members and the dates of their birth, baptism, public profession of faith, marriage, and departure or death are properly recorded.

3.2 Attestations

It is not correct to regard an attestation as an existing personal docu­ment valid for all time. An attestation is a testimony concerning one’s spiritual health at the time of its writing. It functions as a witness to one’s spiritual health when one wishes to join a sister church in another locality (FRCA Article 59; CanRC Article 62). It functions also when one wishes to participate in the supper of the Lord in a sister church (FRCA Article 57; CanRC Article 61). The Scriptural background for the practice of issuing attestations include the following:

• Romans 16:1-2 : Paul writes to the saints in Rome, "I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea, that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and as­sist her in whatever business she has need of you; for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also. " This communication from Paul amounts to a testimony to the church at Rome about sister Phoebe.

• Acts 18:27 : Similarly, we read of Apollos receiving an ’attestation’ when he travelled from Ephesus to Achaia: "And when he desired to cross to Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him; and when he arrived he greatly helped those who had believed through grace."

• 1 Corinthians 16:3 : Paul instructed the Corinthians to lay aside gifts for the needy in Jerusalem. He added, "And when I come, whomever you approve by your letters I will send to bear your gift to Jerusalem." ^152.

On the strength of such like passages, the churches have agreed to giv­en written testimonies concerning members who seek to visit or join a sis­ter church.

FRCA: Article 59 - Attestations for communicant members (CanRC: Article 62 - Attestations)

Communicant members who move to another congregation shall be given, following appropriate announcements to the congregation, an attestation regarding their doctrine and conduct, signed on behalf of the consistory by two authorised office-bearers. This attestation shall also record their children who have not yet made public pro­fession of faith. The consistory of the congregation concerned shall be notified in due time. In Article 28 of the Belgic Confession, we echo the teaching of our Lord like this: "We believe, since this holy assembly and congregation is the as­sembly of the redeemed and there is no salvation outside of it, that no one ought to withdraw from it, content to be by himself, no matter what his state or quality may be. But all and everyone are obliged to join it and mute with it...." The point is that I may not be content to be on my own. I be­long to Christ, and therefore am to join myself to a body of Christ as it vis­ibly assembles in different places on this earth. If I then move elsewhere, I am to join the assembly of true believers in that new locality. To make that transition easier (both for myself who moves as well as for the consistory of the church I seek to join), the churches have agreed to two things:

• The Consistory which had oversight over the departing member will give a testimony to the departing person outlining the spiritual health of the person concerned.

• The Consistory which will have oversight over the arriving member will receive and work with the testimony given by the ’old’ consistory.

Underpinning this arrangement is the material discussed in Chapter 1 of this book, Paragraph 3. In the federation of churches, office-bearers in one church accept the work performed by office-bearers in a sister church. An attestation includes all the details the elders of the new congregation will need to know in order to carry out their task of shepherding the new mem­bers. In as much as no two members are identical, testimonies concerning two different members can scarcely be identical either - unless one would produce testimonies that relate little more than the lowest common de­nominator. This observation pleads against the use of standardised attesta­tion forms, and in favour of individual treatment of each departing member. ¹⁵³ Since parents remain responsible for their children’s church member­ship until the time they make public profession of faith, the names of the children who have not as yet made public profession of faith are recorded on the parents’ attestation. This article also stipulates that members who move shall be given an attestation "following appropriate announcements to the congregation." The congregation should be given the opportunity to raise any concerns or objections, as well as to bid them farewell. The Australian churches have agreed too that the consistory which wrote the attestation is also to inform the consistory of the new congregation that an attestation has been given to a member. This is done out of pastoral care for the member, so that the chances of losing the member are minimised should he be remiss in join­ing the church of his new locality. Technically speaking, however, the consistory has no responsibility for the departed after his departure, and a receiving consistory has no responsibility over the new member until such time as he requests membership. By not handing in one’s attestation a mem­ber effectively withdraws from the church.

FRCA: Article 60 - Attestations for non-communicant members (CanRC: Article 62)

An attestation for a non-communicant member shall he sent direct­ly to the consistory of the church concerned with the request to take the member under its supervision and discipline. For those who have not yet made profession of the faith, the requested attestation is not given to that member, but is instead sent directly to the church to which he has moved. This is because the member has not yet re­sponded to the promises God gave in his baptism and so the responsibility for the member lies with the parents. Yet since the non-communicant youth is moving out of the parental home, the care for the member is di­rected immediately to the consistory of his new domicile.

FRCA: Article 61 - Support after departure (CanRC: no parallel agreement)

When members depart to another congregation where they will be cared for in institutions, aged persons homes or nursing homes, they shall in respect of deacon support remain under the care of the church they are leaving. If this is not possible support will be arranged by consultation between the consistories and deacons concerned. This article arrests any temptation that may arise within, say, the dea­cons, to suggest to a member in need that he move to another congregation ¹⁵⁴ - and so free the deacons from looking after him. It is a principle of God’s Word that looking after a brother in need is not so much a duty as a privilege.

• Deuteronomy 16:11 : " You shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, the Levite who is within your gates, the stranger and the fa­therless and the widow who are among you, at the place where the Lord your God chooses to make His name abide."

• 2 Corinthians 8:14 : "... your abundance may supply their lack, that their abundance also may supply your lack - that there may be equality."

To pass off a needy member in order to free one’s hands is simply not fit-ling for those who have received so very much in Jesus Christ.

4. Other Items The remaining articles of this section of the Church Order cover a se­ries of left over items upon which the churches have agreed to act in a par­ticular manner.

4.1 Ecclesiastical Feast Days The gospel contained in the events of Christ’s birth, death, resurrection, ascension, and outpouring of His Holy Spirit is central to the faith of every believer, on which his temporal and eternal wellbeing depends. For that reason alone it is imperative that office-bearers ensure that the children o\’ God entrusted to their care remember these high points of salvation his­tory (1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 2 Timothy 2:8). In His Word the Lord has not stipulated precisely how He would have these high points of salvation history to be remembered. The Free Re­formed Churches of Australia have agreed to commemorate these events by means of holding church services.

FRCA: Article 65 - Ecclesiastical feast days

On Christmas Day, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Ascension Day and at Pentecost the consistory shall call the congregation together for church services. The sacred events which the congregation com­memorates in particular on these days shall therein be proclaimed.

CanRC: Article 53 - Days of Commemoration

Each year the Churches shall, in the manner decided upon by the con­sistory, commemorate the birth, death, resurrection, and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ, as well as His outpouring of the Holy Spirit. ^155.

I emphasise that this decision of the churches is not based on any command from God. At the same time, it needs to be said with equal em­phasis that the Lord does not forbid that His people come together on oc­casions other than the Lord’s Day. A regular mid-week service, or a spe­cial prayer service in connection with a coronation or a Synod, is fully permissible. With regards to the feast days, the Australian churches reflect their historical heritage by agreeing to remember the highlights of our Saviour’s work by calling the congregations together for worship services on the recognised calendar day of the highlight. The Canadian Reformed Churches, on the other hand, have left the timing (and manner) of the commemoration lo the determination of the consistories. Because the Lord neither commands nor forbids either approach, it will not do to make an issue out of how the Lord’s birth, death, resurrection and ascension, as well as the outpouring of the Spirit, should be remembered. Nevertheless, the very fact that the churches have agreed to commemorate the feast days in a particular manner compels the churches (even in the absence of Scrip­tural injunctions about these days) to do as they have agreed to do. After all. the people of God keep their promises (see Psalms 15:4).

4.2 Days of Prayer The churches have reckoned with the fact that (hey may find them­selves directly or indirectly affected by natural, political, social or eco­nomic afflictions. Difficult circumstances may warrant the proclamation of a day to be especially devoted to prayer, in order to beseech God to take away the affliction. The churches, therefore, have agreed that synod is to appoint one church responsible for nominating days of prayer. Such nominated days of prayer are then to be recognised by all the churches.

ARTICLE 66 - Days of prayer (CanRC: Article 54)

In times of war, general calamities and other great afflictions the pres­ence of which is felt throughout the churches a day of prayer may he proclaimed by the church appointed for that purpose by synod.

It must be remembered that all prayer is to be God-centred and not man-centred. The focus of the prayers urged by this Article, then, must be on what God is revealing about Himself in the affliction. Our thoughts and prayers are not only to concentrate on relief, but there must also be con­fession of sin. If a plague comes upon the land, no one, including the church, can wash his hands of guilt. In His Word God makes a very clear link between obedience and blessing, between disobedience and curse. In ¹⁵⁶ Leviticus 26:1-46 God tells Moses with what blessings He will reward Israel’s obedience and with what curses He will punish their disobedience. Moses passes on God’s Word to Israel saying, "Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God... But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD your God, ... that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you: ... " (Deuteronomy 28:1-68). This Old Tes­tament principle comes back again in the New Testament. In the book of Revelation, for example, one reads of the plagues God will send as pun­ishment upon covenant breaking. Therefore, if the Lord afflicts the coun­try of which we are a part, then let us seek God in prayer, not only asking him to remove the affliction He has sent, but also to confess sin and to re­pent, and to ask the Lord to work repentance in the land as a whole - and maybe even the church in particular.

4.3 Marriage The churches saw need to give special attention to marriage. God. after all, has given marriage a distinct place in His church gathering work. Through marriage the Lord is pleased to give children; more, in the line of the covenant God is pleased to use marriage as His prime means of gathering His church. However. God’s gift of children in marriage is ac­companied by a calling to parents to instruct these children in the ways of the Lord. The consistory’s task of ensuring that the "parents honour their vows to instruct their children, to the utmost of their power, in the doctrine of the Scriptures... " (Article 53) does not begin after parents have made their vows at their child’s baptism, but starts as early as a couple’s courtship days. The elders are to see to it that no one be "un­equally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has right­eousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with dark­ness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? " (2 Corinthians 6:14-15). How shall a father bring up to the Lord’s glory the covenant children entrusted to him, if he first has chosen an unbeliever to become mother of his (potential) chil­dren?! Besides, the Scriptures speak of marriage as "a great mystery" reflecting the relation between Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:32). Hence the agreement of the churches: ^157.

FRCA: Article 67 - Marriage (CanRC: Article 63)

The consistory shall ensure that the members of the congregation marry only in the Lord, and that the ministers - as authorised by the consistory - solemnise only such marriages as are in accordance with the Word of God. The solemnisation of a marriage shall take place in a private ceremony, with the use of the adopted Form. In order to ’marry in the Lord,’ both marriage partners must serve God (first commandment), and both must serve and obey God in the same way, i. e. according to His Word (second commandment). Because the children God may be pleased to give a married couple need to be taught God’s ways, it is crucial for each person considering marriage to marry a person who serves God and serves Him obediently. Such a person one finds only in the church. After all, which church one attends is also a matter of obeying God’s command to serve Him in the manner He has prescribed. This is not to say. of course, that church membership is the decisive question. Within the church are also hypocrites. But one cannot claim to "marry in the Lord" if one seeks to marry a believer from a church that is not legitimate in God’s eyes (see Belgic Confession. Article 29). The minister solemnises the marriage upon authorisation of the con­sistory. Who one marries is not a private matter alone, but involves the con­sistory also. For the sake of God’s name and the future of the church, the consistory will only authorise the marriage of persons who belong to a church of Jesus Christ. The churches have agreed that marriages would not be solemnised in a church service, but in a private ceremony. It should be noted, though, that on this point Scripture is silent. Some of the sister churches (particu­larly the Dutch churches) incorporate a wedding service into a regular church service. The Canadian Church Order includes this agreement:

CanRC: Article 63 - Marriage

... The solemnization of a marriage may take place either in a private ceremony or in a public worship service....

Precisely because Scripture is silent on this point, not much may be made on this difference in the agreements reached by the churches. The Church Order makes one last stipulation in relation to marriages, namely, that a marriage shall be solemnised "with the use of the adopted Form." This form summarises what God teaches about the institution of marriage, its reflection of the relationship between Christ and His church, the purpose of marriage and the duties of marriage. By use of this form the ¹⁵⁸ consistory ensures that the members do not enter marriage on the basis of any false understandings or expectations which Satan would love to im­plant in a couple’s hearts and minds. That the marrying couple understand well what they enter when they marry is so very important since Satan knows only too well that his access to God’s covenant children is min­imised through ’marriages in the Lord.’

4.4 Funerals

Funerals are emotionally laden times. There is something understand­able about the historic Roman Catholic practice and belief that the dead are dependent on the prayers and intercessions of the church in order to be accepted into heaven. So the churches have agreed that at funerals the consistory shall not call the congregation together for a church service - lest the service become a prayer for the dead. Here is an element of pastoral care for the flocks.

FRCA: Article 68 - Funerals (CanRC: Article 65)

Church .services shall not he conducted for funerals. The family, however, may certainly request to be comforted from Scripture. At the family’s discretion, this can be done in church or elsewhere.

^159.

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^191.

¹ Book of Praise, pg 584-606.

² Book of Praise, pg 587.

³ Book of Praise, pg 593-594.

⁴ Book of Praise, pg 588-592.

⁵ Book of Praise, pg 594-602.

⁶ For the Australian churches it is currently the responsibility of the Free Reformed Church at Launceston.

⁷ Book of Praise, pg 634-40.

^191.